


Meet Me at the End of the World

by youbuggme



Category: A Song of Ice and Fire - George R. R. Martin, Game of Thrones (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Pirate, Angst, Character Death, Flashbacks, M/M, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Two timelines
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-07-11
Updated: 2017-09-16
Packaged: 2018-12-01 00:32:59
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 2
Words: 7,879
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11474865
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/youbuggme/pseuds/youbuggme
Summary: “You’re an idiot.” She shook her head, smiling humorlessly. It looked more painful than anything else. “You understand there is nothing at the end of this. We are at the end of the world, little brother. There is no life here, only death. I don’t know exactly what you think you are going to find here, but I can tell you now it doesn’t change the past. Dead is dead, little brother and he isn’t coming back.”





	1. Your Choice

**Author's Note:**

> Anonymous Prompt: Throbb + pirate AU :))
> 
> aka the prompt that got _slightly_ out of hand....don't know when or how much I'll update but I have at least another chapter written and being edited. 
> 
> Some notes- italics are the past events, normal text is present events. Couldn't come up with one plot so I merged two and this seemed the best way to managed that! Hopefully it all makes sense in the end :)
> 
> Enjoy!!

_“Aye, looks like heavy storms are coming from the South,” Dagmer called over the roaring waves and rapidly picking up winds. In the distances, deep rumbling black clouds crept closer and closer, taking over the faded evening sky and painting over purple and orange sunsets with violently black rains. “’Think we should wait it out?”_

_Theon snorted, hair whipping in the wind, the shoreline steadily approaching. “For this? Please. Steady in and we’ll be out before rain begins to fall, I promise you that.”_

_It was supposed to be easy after all. A quick in and out. A simple raid. Something to get his crew into high spirits before their long trip to Braavos. Theon liked to treat his crew before he struck them with months at sea; going around the bloody peninsula of Westeros was rather tedious and around the second week his crew tends to long for a little more action. Best treat them now and keep their spirits high early on to keep them lasting longer._

_Theon watched as Dagmer called out his orders to the rest of the crew and his men scrambled to prepare for docking and the upcoming raid. He could feel the excitement surge through his men: murmurs of food and drink, whispers of fucking and reaping, chants of chaos and violence. The Iron Way, the only way. Theon loved every second of it._

_Seagard wasn’t anything special. It was a rather common destination for a spirited raid. No matter how many defenses they managed to put up between raids and how many men they got, the walls and defenses of Seagard crumbled like sand under Ironborn boots. Seagard held nothing special and was for all intents and purposes a shit port, damaged and weakened by pirates coming and going. Yet, the Iron Islands had a tradition of stopping there, getting their last fill of food and drink and women before heading off wherever. It was just their way._

_The people of Seagard were far too used to it and long stopped trying to fight back, not that they had much the Ironborn wanted. It was more the chase and excitement of a raid than the actual score. So as far as most of Theon’s crew was concerned, it was just a last hoorah, before the long journey to Essos. Only a few in higher rankings knew there was a bit more to that this time around._

_As the docking finished and men practically leaped from the ship to the unstable dock below, Theon patted the long blade by his side and the gun on his hip. Dagmer was waiting with a feral grin while Wex fiddled with the sleeves of his shirt eyeing the tall tower in the center of Seagard._

_“You sure about this?” Dagmer growled. He was older, supposedly wiser than Theon and felt the need to impart his ‘fatherly’ advice when he sought fit. While Theon was the captain and man in charge, Dagmer never held back his thoughts, falling back on his experience and soft heart. Theon didn’t mind it one bit. Dagmer could preach all the advice he wanted but in the end, he’d do whatever Theon decided._

_“You heard those idiots back in Pyke,” Theon shot back, smirking all the same. “Wolf gold, my good friend. We are gonna get ourselves some wolf gold.”_

_Dagmer voiced no other concerns, following as Theon disembarked and stalked through the port as if he owned it. For what it was worth, in that moment as neighboring ships burned and town’s people screamed and his men laughed and hollered, Theon_ did _own Seagard; from the minute his ship docked to the second it left port. Chaos had its firm grip on Seagard and Theon was the master of said chaos._

_It was easy to make it to the tower unnoticed. All the guards had long since abandoned protecting the streets from pirates and Ironborn, holding up around the Lord of Seagard and his keep. Theon’s crew and the few Ironborn that stuck around Seagard all year around ran the streets and alleys making it easy for Theon’s small group to pass through, stepping over broken glass and basking in the warm of the flames._

_The tower itself was heavily guarded but the guards didn’t notice the three of them walking in the shadows of the neighboring buildings. The guards were armed and ready but knew that it was beyond rare for the Ironborn to bother for the tower. If they were actually here for a raid, the tower would have been first to go but no one really gave two shits about whatever wealth was in Seagard. It was rumored to be none. Theon knew there was none, except on this rare occasion of Northern visitors and their pockets of northern gold._

_He didn’t know their names or much about them, all Theon knew was that they carried gold from the North, the old kind. The kind that was worth a hell of a lot more than the painted chips they use in the South. The type that Theon could roll in and actually feel the cold weight of hardened gold._

_He didn’t care to know much else about the Northerners other than that. It didn’t matter. If he crossed their paths, they’d be slain and if he didn’t, he’d never have to see them again. Theon wasn’t looking for a fight; he was looking for a hefty score, something to line his pockets with and shove in his sister’s face._

_As they neared the end of their wide lap around the tower, Theon felt Wex yank on the sleeve of his tunic. Turning, Theon followed Wex’s shiny eyes to an open window of a tower, once white but now yellow curtains floating out the window. Below the window were only two guards within sight, the rest seeming to be at the main points of entry at the base of the tower._

_With a nod and jerk of his head, Theon led his two men slowly toward the guards. It was quite sad really. They didn’t even stand a chance against Wex, let alone the three of them. In seconds, their bodies laid at the bottom of the tower, unconscious and hogtied. Dagmer grinned roguishly from the warm up._

_Wex pulled out the length of rope from his knapsack which had a hook attached to the end. With a well-practiced aim and safe-checking tug, Wex had their way to the window made._

_Dagmer went first with Theon following directly behind and Wex taking up the rear. They had done many small raids such as this over the years and had developed a well-running machine with little communication among the three needed._

_Once inside, the three examined the empty room. There was a bed, a chair, and a few knickknacks of little value around it. One thing was clear to the three: no wolf gold. They barely looked further than that and headed towards the door. The hallway outside was empty and they split up naturally. Wex and Dagmer headed left and Theon headed to the right._

_While their information about the Northerners was very sparse, they had enough knowledge to walk through the Tower of Seagard blinded and find whatever they wanted. None of them had ever been inside the tower before but Theon knew how to read a map, knew how to read one before he had learned his letters. Maps of the seas were different but not_ that _different to maps of castles and buildings. Years of practice gave Theon all he needed to find the main rooms of interest._

_According to the maps, there were two places the Northerners could be held: at the top of the Tower where Theon was heading or down in the lower section by the center main keep where Dagmer and Wex were heading. Both options had their pros and cons and both options had many things that could be taken if the Northerners were not housed there. They were going to walk away with something, one way or another and hopefully one side would come back with the rare gold._

_As Theon rounded the corner, he heard the murmurings of quiet voices and slowed down. With a careful ear, he listened to the voices as he hid against the wall._

_“Do you think they are going to come here?” a small boyish voice asked._

_“Lord Mallister said it happens often and they stick to the shore,” a deeper, older voice answered. “’Says they don’t like straying from the sea.” There was an almost whimsical tone at that._

_“Old Nan says they were born from the darkest waters of the sea!” answered the younger boy excitedly. “Of salt and smoke and blood!”_

_The older voice chuckled deeply. “Old Nan says a lot of things, Bran. Now get away from the window and go to your rooms. I’m sure Rickon will wake from the commotion and want some reassurance.”_

_“Where are you going?” the boy Bran asked curiously. Though Theon couldn’t see what they looked like, Theon imaged the young boy to cock his head to the side like a curious kitten._

_“I’m going to check on Sansa and Arya and make sure they aren’t arguing again. Gods know they have been getting on each other’s nerves these past weeks.”_

_“But we’ll be home soon,” Young Bran seemed to reassure the other. “And we’ll see Jon and Father again!”_

_“Yes, indeed. Mother will be quite happy about that. I think her family tired her quite a bit and the journey was rougher than expected.”_

_Bran giggled but Theon didn’t hear anything else from the boy as small footsteps walked away quietly. It was the loud, approaching steps that garnered Theon’s attention and he straightened up. Grabbing his blade, Theon pressed his back into the wall and waited for the other man to round the corner. He sounded older than the one called Bran but not older than Theon. Probably still a boy._

_As he stepped into view, Theon realized ‘boy’ was probably an incorrect descriptor. While he certainly looked young, he was no longer a boy. Red hair was growing steadily on his chin and neck and his height could rival Theon’s._

_But alas, Theon was ready and far quicker._

_Theon had the other man pinned against the wall before the redhead had time to realize what had exactly happened. Before he could open his mouth to more than a gasp, Theon had his hand holding the blade over it, knife pressed against the man’s cheek._

_Theon smirked as the man’s eyes widened and once again Theon was questioning his age. He seemed like a man but those eyes were innocent, young and inexperienced._

_“Hello, my friend,” Theon whispered lowly. “’Mind showing me where you kept that gold?”_

_Defiance crossed his expression immediately and Theon rolled his eyes, tutting quietly._

_“Well, if you ain’t going to tell me, I’ll go ask little Bran, or maybe, what was it now?  Rickon? If that doesn’t work, I could go and find Misses Sansa and Arya, right? Someone has to know around here. You Northerners are quite a ways from home.”_

_It was fascinating to watch the boy-man’s eyes shift from hard to soft to yielding. Never had Theon see such an expressional person, not after living on Pyke where everyone had two emotions: Violet rage and wicked glee._

_“Now, I’m gonna uncover that mouth of yours and you are gonna lead the way for me, nice and quiet. ‘Wouldn’t want my friends to hear us. Dagmer’s got quite the temper and while Wex doesn't look like it, he is very quick with the blade.”_

_Carefully, as not to be cut by the knife against his cheek, the man nodded slowly and Theon moved his hand so he could speak but not letting up much further than that._

_“Oh, and if I catch any funny business, Wolf Boy, I’ll slit your throat and find the pups, understand?”_

_“Yes,” came a cold and stiff voice, sounding far older than the boy it came out of._

_“Excellent.”_

_Theon released the boy and tucked his knife away, pulling the pistol out and holding it to the man’s back._

_“Is that really necessary?” the man asked looking at the pistol with a clouded expression._

_“Don’t need you doing something stupid. It’s just a nice little reminder.”_

_Whether he was trying to buy time or fear has stiffened his limbs, the man walked slowly down the hall. Theon kept his eyes sharp and ears keen to listening for a peep or approaching figure. Fortunately, they met nothing as the man opened a door at the end of the hall. Theon followed and let the door fall shut behind him._

_It was a modest room, similar to the one they had entered. The wolf boy wasted no time and opened a truck at the end of a moth-eaten bed and shuffling around clothes and furs. As he dug, he talked, his voice weak at first but steadily growing strong._

_“Are those your men at shore then? Burning everything down?”_

_“Aye, most of them,” Theon leaned against the wall watching. He played with the hammer of the pistol. “I’m their captain.”_

_The man found the pouch and held it up for Theon to look at. It was about the size of a fist._

_“Open it for me and show me the insides,” Theon commanded, smirk still stitched in place._

_With deft fingers, the man undid the ties of the pouch._

_“Why attack Seagard?” he asked as he fiddled with the last knot._

_“For fun,” Theon answered honestly as he watched the man open the pouch wide enough for Theon to see the dull shine of true gold. His smirk morphed into a grin._

_“Killing, raping, and destruction is fun?” the man retorted with disgust._

_“Ever try it, Greenboy?” Theon teased. “Close it up and toss it here.” Theon held his hand and waited for the man to close the pouch and hand it over._

_“Destroying people’s lives is not fun for me.”_

_He was slow, reluctant tie the pouch back up but eventually, he handed it over. Theon attached it to his belt by the ties, idly wondering what Dagmer and Wex were collecting from the lower levels._

_“Fun is relative, Wolf Boy. Sitting in your cold wasteland isn’t how I have fun.”_

_“Raping and reaving are?” he hissed back._

_Theon was more amused than irritated by the Northerner’s sudden backtalk. “Seeing lands and treasures you read about in books, my friend. Ever wonder what the Titan of Braavos looks like? Or the sands of Astapor feel like on your feet? To hear the snakes of Dorne or watch the shadowbinders of Asshai? Raping and reaving are just a fraction of the things I do, just like cutting off heads and Old Gods are just a small part of what_ you _do. Don’t look down on what I do because you don’t understand it.”_

_This shut the man up nicely, a deep furrow appearing on his brow._

_“You’ve been to Essos?” he said slowly, a bit of awe creeping into his voice._

_“Hundreds of times.”_

_The boy- he looked so boyish in that moment -bit his lip in deep thought. “I’ve never been south of the Harrenhal.”_

_Theon was slightly taken aback by the boy’s tone, looking away quickly. He suddenly didn’t feel like he had the heart to tell the young lord that he’d probably never get further down than Harrenhal, let alone across the narrow sea. As far as Theon could surmise, the young northerner would spend his whole life in the ice, born in frost and die in snow._

_“Now,” Theon sneered shaking those thoughts off, “why don’t you be a good host and escort me out?”_

_The man seemed confused by Theon’s mischievous request, probably sensing a sea of ulterior motives, but Theon nodded his head to the door and the redhead did as directed._

_Theon gave brief commands back to the room from which he entered. Dagmer and Wex would find their way back to the ship so Theon wasn’t concerned with waiting for them. He just needed to get back and count his newest treasures, already thinking of the look on his sister’s face. The North was pretty much a dead man’s zone for Ironborn so Wolf Gold was a rare opportunity. Asha will be in a rage of envy and Theon couldn’t wait._

_They were about halfway to the door when Theon heard the rapid clamor of footsteps. He turned around just in time to see two guards round the corner. Theon abandoned his aim at the redhead and shot two loud bullets at the guards. One bullet missed and embedded itself into the wall while the other clanged loudly against the guard’s armor and buried in it, the man dropping with a groan of agony. He doubled over from the pain and Theon knew it would be unlikely for him to stand again and continue the fight. He turned to the other._

_The other guard ignored his companion and rush forward valiantly. Theon abandoned the gun and pulled out the blade from before, brandishing it like a sword. The guard pulled out his own, proper sword and soon they were clashing swords. While the blade wasn’t Theon’s specialty, he did have the smoothness and speed guards like him lacked. Theon had seen more battle in his short twenty-one years than the guard will ever see in his lifetime. It was never going to be a fair match._

_With a quick cut between the armor on his side, Theon’s opponent collapsed. Theon quickly turned around and was stunned to see the Northerner from before still there, standing there in shock and awe, but Theon’s pistol in his hands._

_“You killed him?” he whispered in disbelief, the pistol weak in his hands. Theon moved to snatch it back, closing in slowly._

_“It was either them or me,” Theon replied evenly. “More are coming. I could paint this hall with blood or I could get out of here. Your choice. Now give me back my pistol and we can put this all behind us.”_

_He wasn’t able to get a word out as another pair of guards came. This time from the boy’s side. Theon cursed as the guards moved past his Northern hostage, ready to seize Theon. Turn to his nature, Theon moved to a fighting stance ready to go down kicking and screaming. To Theon’s amazement, it wasn’t needed as both men dropped with small grunts._

_Behind them, the Northerner stood with the butt of the pistol out and a little blood on it. When he looked up, his face was calm and collected._

_“Knocking them out was better than you killing them.”_

_“Your choice,” Theon repeated with a smirk as he snatched back the pistol. “More are coming so let’s finish this up quickly and I can be on my merry way.”_

_Grabbing the man by the shoulder, Theon spun him around and pushed him down the hall and into the room. The rope was still there waiting for him as Theon locked the door behind the two of them. The northerner didn’t move as Theon made his way through the room._

_He said nothing to the Northern man as he approached the window. There was going to be no goodbyes or farewells. Theon was nearly out when the man coughed._

_“You’ve really been to all those places then? What you said back there…”_

_Theon turned, ready to sneer but found he was met with genuine curiosity. The soft feeling from before came back and Theon shoved it away. He could already see the faint memory forming of a small, thin boy by his mother’s sickbed learning what Slaver’s Bay was and the torrential seas of the south..._

_Straddling the window, Theon leaned back against the frame and grinned. “Those and thousand more. Not the mention the thousand other I’ll see in my future.”_

_There was a wide breath of silence. It almost looked as if he wasn’t going to answer and Theon wasn’t sure there was much to respond to. They were just staring at each other in deafening silence, the thunder of the approaching clouds rumbling around them. Finally, the man licked his lips and spoke._

_“Take me with you.”_

_If Theon hadn’t braced his back against the window, he would have tipped out of the tower. “Excuse me?” Bewilderment didn’t even cover the strength of Theon’s shock and awe._

_“Take me with you,” the man said quieter this time and turning more boyish. He walked a bit forward, slightly unsure._

_“Why should I?” Theon shot back, recovering from his shock quickly._

_The man frowned, trying to think. “I…I want to see what you’ve seen.”_

_Theon raised his eyebrows. “What about our disgusting raping and reaving?”_

_His eyes flashed and a humorless grin tricked at his lips though it didn’t push away the nerves. “You said fun was relative.”_

_Theon let out a rather genuine chuckle. “And how do I know this isn’t a ploy for you wolf gold.” Theon clapped the pouch by his side._

_Again the man frowned at the thought. “You can have it…and more when you return me?”_

_“Return you?” Theon cocked an eyebrow._

_“Ransom,” he said simply. The nerves of his face faded as a plan grew in his mind, once again shifting from boy to man before Theon’s eyes._

_“I’m holding you for ransom?” Theon clarified slowly._

_“My father would be willing to pay a high price,” the man stepped forward more confident. “It would be an easy trade. My family’s gold and you take me to see the world.”_

_Theon laughed softly. “How long am I keeping you hostage then? Forever?”_

_“A year,” the man decided. “That’ll be long enough for me to see quite a bit.” Theon wondered suddenly if maybe this man had been thinking about this before considering the rapidness of his decisions._

_“A year and I get what? A hundred pounds of wolf gold?”_

_“A thousand.”_

_Theon leaned back a bit to think. “A thousand pounds of wolf gold for one year of travel?”_

_“A handsome exchange.”_

_“And what of your family?” Theon narrowed his eyes. “What about little Bran and the others?”_

_The boy straightened his shoulders. “Lord Mallister will see them home safely. My father’s men will come collect them should it be deemed too dangerous.”_

_Theon could see in the boy’s eyes that if Theon didn’t take him, the boy would find another way, perhaps even following him back to the ship. That determination was a rare sight to Theon and oddly very welcoming._

_“What’s your name?” Theon finally asked._

_“Robb Stark.”_

_“Well, Robb,” Theon’s lips curled around the name, his mind thinking about the mounds of gold coins, “Let’s get going. We got a letter to draft, don’t we?”_

_It may be stupid, Theon knew as he shimmied down the rope with his new unexpected companion following behind. Hell, it could be a trap, but Theon wasn’t going to say no to a thousand pound of Northern gold and those pretty blue eyes: those pretty blues that reminded Theon of the look in his own eyes when he first saw the white sand beaches of Dorne and the smoking cities of Essos…Besides, they could always toss him overboard and let the Drowned God decide the boy’s fate._

_Dagmer wasn’t as keen to that logic when he and Wex returned to the ship to see Theon and Robb Stark sitting behind the ship wheel. Dagmer barely bothered with a kind smile before dragging Theon off to talk about danger, foolishness, stupidity, and most of all Theon’s sanity. But Dagmer wasn’t the captain, Theon was. And it was only one year. A year that would end with a thousand pounds of Northern Gold, more than any other ploy or raid would yield them._

_The boy was green and innocent enough. What was the worst that could happen?_

_The boy, now trading that fear from earlier for excitement, rapidly whispered to Theon, both questions and curiosities. He watched as Theon’s crew returned to the ship one-by-one and pushed off Seagard. He talked about mystical lands and adventures and exploration. He dreamed of Essos and faraway places. He talked about all the places they’d see and his eyes danced with the thought of adventure. He didn’t even mind the rain as it slowly came, large drops kissing their faces. His smile didn’t dim at all, a bright light in the darkness of the ship. Theon felt comforted by it. He should have known then it wasn’t going to be as simple as they seemed to think. A thousand pounds of gold for one adventure was a rather stupid deal looking back, not when so much more ended up being at stake._

_But neither of them thought of that as Theon explained the ship to Robb and he listened eagerly, all his attention locked and loaded on Theon. Beautiful blue eyes only for him not dimmed in the slightest by the oncoming storm._

* * *

Theon didn’t flinch as the rain poured heavier and harder on him. He stood at the bow of the ship looking at the dark murky waters. It had been five years since that fateful night at Seagard. Five years since Theon took a green boy of eighteen on his ship with the promise of adventure.

Looking back, Theon would have never made that deal. Not for all the gold and riches in the world. Not for anything. He’d rather fall on his sword or have his brained blown than have taken that boy on his ship. But those were folly wishes that didn’t erase the past and didn’t change the fact Theon did make that deal and did take that boy on his ship.

Theon closed his eyes shut painfully tight until his vision was blinded red, painfully red. Red like hair around a smiling face, red like blood painted on pale lips. When he opened them, his vision was spotted and he felt slightly dizzy. He didn’t notice a hand touch his shoulder.

 Turning, Theon could have sworn for a moment he saw red but instead back the pale face of Wex, soaked to the bone and awaiting directions.

With a heavy sigh, Theon passed the wrinkled, soaked map in his shaking hands. “Straight course.”

Wex took the map and didn’t move. Though he didn’t speak, Theon knew the question that was being asked.

“Yes. I’m sure. This is the only way.”

Wex nodded and backed away, leaving his captain at the bow of his ship in the onslaught of hard smacking rain. Theon didn’t mind it at all, letting it wet and freeze him to the core as his eyes fluttered shut again.

Five years ago Theon had let foolishness and greed bring a boy of eighteen onto his ship with the promises of adventure and new worlds. Theon had brought him adventure, so much adventure, but Theon never saw a single gold coin.

Still, Robb Stark had paid for his adventure.


	2. The Destination

“Kind of looks like home from afar, doesn’t it?”

Theon didn’t move as Asha greeted that morning. She stood beside him, her eyes ahead like Theon’s watching the slow approach of the black clump of islands. A menacing little cluster thousands of miles from the nearest land mass, quite literally in the middle of nowhere. All around was deep blue sea running to nowhere. It was pretty much the end of the world. A speckle of seemingly unimportant little sandbars that anyone would miss if they hadn’t been looking for it, and even if they were looking, they’d miss it half the time. The islands were dark; the trees making it look black rather than green with a thick cover of dark clouds swirling above it. In the distance, Theon could see the islands had little mountainous cliffs on them, akin to the jagged rocks that made up Pyke. Only difference was Pyke barely had any trees. Pyke was shit stained rocks whereas this cluster of islands was a black hole on Earth.

Theon only gave a grunt to his sister’s question. She wasn’t expecting more than that anyway. Theon rarely spoke if he didn’t have to.

“We’re coming on it soon.” Asha approached his side at the wheel, turned to face him. “’Should let someone else take us the rest of the way. You’ll need sleep.”

Typically, Theon would have had one of his crew members steer, Wex or Dagmer or really anyone but during the past year he rarely let another take the wheel unless it was during his rare moments of sleep or food. He wasn’t sure what he’d do if he wasn’t steering the ship through blue waste. There wasn’t much left for him anymore.

“Aye,” was all Theon said to his sister.

“Snow’s up. ‘Got himself ill again,” Asha filled in the silence of the pre-dawn. “You’d think he’d get use to the seas by now but his stomach is still Greenlander all the way.” She gave him a moment to add his piece but Theon remained silent on the matter. “’Suspect he’ll make his way up soon. Even he can tell we are getting close.” She paused and let out a deep, tension filled sigh. “Are you sure this is the way?”

She wasn’t going to fill in the gaps of silence this time. She simply turned to face him and waited for his response, her dark eyes boring holes into him for an answer. She rarely forced him to speak anymore, taking anything he gave her and running with it but there were times, times like this, where she wouldn’t budge until he gave her what she wanted and she wanted an answer.

“It’s the only way.”

Asha let out another sigh, shaking her head. He could almost hear her muttering the familiar _“foolish little brother”_ but alas her lips stayed sealed shut and she left him at the wheel.

He kept his position at the wheel all through the morning, the sun rising through the waves and finding its place in the sky. Around nine, Wex brought him a hunk of bread and a bit of cheese before leaving him to work. Theon could tell the boy was offering to take wheel but Theon wasn’t giving it up, his hands tightly gripping it. Not when they were so close. Not yet. There wasn’t much to do anyway: simply keep a straight course and they’d be there by mid-day. Truth be told, he didn’t need to have the wheel in hand but letting it go was not an option. It was grounding.

Theon watched as Jon Snow finally made his way on deck, his face a faint shade of green and his black hair pin in a bun behind his head. Asha had been kind in her assessment of Snow’s disposition to the sea. It wasn’t just his stomach that was Greenlander, it was all of him and that wasn’t likely ever to change. If it hadn’t changed in the year they had been at sea together, it wasn’t likely to change anytime soon. It amazed Theon that Jon was still with them. Then again, it wouldn’t be like him to give up. Not when they were both so determined.

As they grew closer the islands seemed to double and triple in size. Where they had once seemed like little sandbars they soon grew into massive islands of tangled black forests and unknown secrets and treasures. The clouds didn’t seem to be shifting to or from the islands, anchored there for eternity by drowning rains making everything black and grey. It seemed the only way the forests on those islands were staying alive was by sheer water, never a drop of sun to reach them. It was dark, dreary, and awful.

A cynical little smile came to Theon’s face, feeling more like a splitting crack than a genuine emotion.

_Gods,_ he thought, _Robb would have hated this place._

* * *

_“So this is where you’re from?” Robb wrinkled his nose as they stepped off the ship, looking around with awe. “It’s very…”_

_“Dirty? Smelly? Wet?” Theon filled in with an easy laugh. He forgot how_ dry _Winterfell felt when he was home. Winterfell was far from dry but anything was considered dry when humidity was thick enough to cut with a knife. The water in the air almost clogged your throat if the smells of Pyke didn’t choke you first._

_“Grey,” Robb decided with a frown. “Is there ever sun here?”_

_“Only on bad days,” Theon winked, nodded his head left for Robb to follow. “Keep up and stay by me, alright? I don’t want you getting lost. Not like you did in Qarth.”_

_“That was_ one _time!” Robb grumbled._

_“I was being nice and not mentioning Braavos or Pentos, but if you want to go there…”_

_“You make it sound like I’m a little lamb on an island of lions,” Robb rolled his eyes._

_"More like a baby seal in a harbor of sharks.”_

_“Funny.” Robb shook his head and straightened his shoulders. “I can handle myself just fine you know. If you remember Braavos, then you’d remember that.”_

_“Oh I remember. You’re lucky we already made that deal or else they’d have had our heads. I know you can handle yourself,” Theon said honestly, although Robb didn’t notice. “But let’s not make any unnecessary risks, eh?”_

_Theon knew Robb would agree sensibly which Theon was glad he could count on. One of them had to have sensibility._

_Robb followed along beside Theon without complaint. He couldn’t help but look at the shops and people that they passed, all wide-eyed and amazed. It would have been darling if it wasn’t so obvious Robb wasn’t from around Pyke. Theon was worried they might attract too much attention just by Robb’s curious eyes. People have died for far less here and that’s why he had to keep Robb close and safe. He wasn’t losing him like that._

_“What are we here for anyway?” Robb asked as they turned onto a less crowded, narrower street. “We’ve never come to Pyke before. You always avoid it.”_

_“’Need to drop off a package. It shouldn’t take long. Gives the crew time to eat, sleep, fuck, and get ready for tomorrow.”_

_“Where are we going tomorrow?”_

_Theon couldn’t help the twitch at his lips at the word “we”. “Don’t know yet. ‘Thinking South. Heard the Dornish shit gold, might want see that for myself.”_

_If Robb noticed the pronoun shift, he didn’t say anything about it, instead quipping back, “I thought it was the Lannister’s the shit gold.”_

_A chuckle bubbled out of Theon and he nudged Robb affectionately._

_“Come on, we’ll be quick.”_

_Theon led the way down the uneven cobblestone way as Robb scanned the windows of each little shop and pub. No one looked at them as they past, turning their eyes elsewhere. Robb didn’t notice which was good. Theon didn’t want to explain much more than he had to, least of all how Theon’s family pretty much ruled these areas and Robb was just as unwelcomed as he._

_When they reached a little shop at the end of the alley, Theon grabbed Robb by the elbow and yanked his closer, dropping his voice despite the street being nearly deserted so far down._

_"Don’t saw a word in there, okay? Let me do the talking. Just stay in the front room and don’t touch anything. Understand?”_

_Robb furrowed his eyebrows but he didn’t say a word, simply nodded his head slowly. Theon released his grip a few seconds later and opened the door to the shop._

_The front room filled with random objects all cluttering shelves and stacked on top of each other. Some were hunks of junk, others were probably priceless treasures. There was no telling what object each value had. There was no order, there were no prices, and it seemed more like someone’s personal storage rather than a shop. Rugs overlapped on the floor and an ancient chandler rocked above them. No one was in the front room but loud talking could be heard in the back. Theon walked to the counter and rang the green tarnished bell loudly and waited, listening to shuffles come from the backroom and the door swing open._

_“Aw, this little piece of shit is back,” the man grinned. It was neither fond nor sincere but it wasn’t filled with hatred and that was the most Theon could ask for when anywhere on Pyke._

_“Dagon,” Theon smirked, looking past the older man to see a group of rough and storm weathered faces staring back at him. “Am I interrupting your social club?”_

_Dagon sneered and waved Theon over. “Nonsense, come in.” Dagon paused, glanced to Robb and cocked an eyebrow at Theon. “Friend of yours?” His tone left no mystery to what his thoughts were. Dagon could see Robb exactly for who we want: Greenlander clear as day; no amount of disguises and acting could cover Robb’s wistful eyes and Greenlander walk. Some Ironborn would even say he breathed like a Greenlander and those who didn’t say that would still know exactly what they meant._

_“Something like that,” Theon brushed off quickly, reaching into his pocket to hold up a small blue velvet bag. He shook it twice for Dagon to hear the clang of metal on metal. “’Got something for you.”_

_“Come on back, we’ll get ourselves squared away.”_

_Dagon wrapped an arm around Theon’s shoulders and dragged him toward the back. Theon made a quick glance back at Robb to wink before ducking into the room._

_Theon hoped Robb stayed put and didn’t touch anything. Dagon and Theon weren’t friends, barely working acquaintances, but history tied them as long as Dagon’s grandfather still held claim to being beside Theon’s ancestor for who Dagon was named. Either way, it was a relationship that was already strained and there didn’t need to be anymore tension attached to it._

_He made his dealing quick, giving the velvet pouch as well as the list of other treasures Theon had acquired on their last venture to Volantis. Dagon named his price; they haggled until deciding upon a price and arrangements to collect. Theon always made quick work of getting out of there as soon as and making his dealings with Dagon short and sweet. The longer he left Robb alone, the longer the boy had a chance of dragging them into danger. Robb seemed to have a knack for that and Theon wondered why he was still keeping him by his side, ignoring the warmth in his chest that providing the immediate answer._

_Gold counted twice and a stiff, unfriendly handshake to seal the deal, Theon ducked out of the backroom in less than an hour; Dagon and his buds watching as Theon nodded for Robb to follow him out, whispering under his breath, “Don’t look back, don’t make eye contact, keep your head down.”_

_Robb did as he was told and they walked back like that the whole way to the ship, wordless and quick. He didn’t even look at the shops as they passed then and Theon was proud to see Robb sense the mood so keenly. Or at least he had been until they got back to the ship where they were safe and Robb didn’t even stick around as he usually did, going below deck while Theon conferred with his crew. Theon thought perhaps Robb was tired, but it was nagging at him. They didn’t meet back up until dinner in Theon’s main cabin, quiet and away from the rest of the crew._

_“You’re quiet.” Theon narrowed his eyes as they ate: onion soup and dark bread. “Pyke not to your liking? You’ve wanted to see it for a while now. You had been rambling about it for months.”_

_Robb whipped his head up from the soup, eyes wider than normal. “Pyke was fine.”_

_Theon raised an eyebrow, clearly not believing him. He didn’t need to say a word to make Robb speak, the thing of beauty that had sprung up in their friendship early on._

_Robb sighed and played with the edge of his collar. Theon’s eyes followed the fingers as they moved._

_“I did something.”_

_Theon knew immediately and cursed. Even saying the words ‘don’t touch anything’ didn’t stop Robb from doing the exact opposite. Theon bet it triggered Robb to doing it._

_“What did you take?”_

_Robb blinked, stunned for a moment. “Nothing! I didn’t take a thing! I promised you!”_

_“Then what did you do?” Theon asked slowly, confusion and worry swirling in the back of his mind._

_“I memorized something.” Before Theon could open his mouth to ask what, Robb continued rushed, “It was a map. I didn’t touch anything, I swear on my life. But it was open and I couldn’t help but look at it and well…I memorized it.”_

_“You memorized it,” Theon repeated in the same slow tone he used before._

_“Well, memorized it until I could draw it.” With quick fingers, Robb slipped his hand into his shirt and pulled out a browned parchment paper. He unfurled it and flatted it on the table, onion soup forgotten. “I couldn’t understand the language written around it but it was the shape of the island that caught my attention. I’m not sure those guys at the shop even knew what it was.”_

_Theon spun the map to face him as he stared down at it. His eyes widened in realization before glancing back up at Robb in utter disbelief. “This isn’t…you didn’t…” He looked down again at the drawing, his mouth twitching upward into a faint smile. “This can’t…are you sure you got it right?”_

_“Absolutely,” Robb said, the smile strong in his voice. “I was thinking, maybe Dorne could wait if I’m right.”_

_Theon threw his head back laughing, reaching across the table to hold Robb’s face, feeling the rough stumble coming in._

_"Fuck Dorne, Stark. We’ll never_ need _Dorne if you are right about this. Fuck it. We’re going to Valyria.”_

* * *

It was nightfall and the islands still seemed so far away and ever-growing despite being a small rowboat ride away. It was the first night in ages Theon actually sat down in the main chamber and ate with his sister and traveling companion, the laugher and excitement of the crew heard from just below them.

“What time are you two leaving?” Asha asked, frown still set in place. It was clear that she still hadn’t changed her mind about any of this. She had made her stance firm at the beginning nearly a year ago, just as Theon made his decision one year ago. True to their heritage, they were just as stubborn as their father before them.

“Dawn,” Theon answered immediately, looking across the table at Jon to see him nodding in agreement. “First light we’ll have Wex row us out. You can leave after that.”

Asha ignored the last part of her brother’s statement. “And you aren’t taking anyone else? Just the two of you?”

“You need a full crew,” he answered calmly.

“I can be down a man or two. Even five. Look just-”

“No.”

The chatter of the crew filled the silence at their table. Asha was glaring at Theon while Theon was looking into the murky depths of his fish stew. Jon shifted awkwardly in his seat. They had once again reached another standstill and neither was going to budge. Jon defused the situation as he had learned to do this past year.

“I have a few letters,” Jon filled the silence of the cabin. “I hope you’ll get them to the right people should we not…” the rest of the sentence died in his mouth but they all knew what was going to be said.

“Of course,” Asha said stiffly. “You have my word.” She glanced at Theon before looking back at Jon. “How many days am I giving you two? We have enough supplies to wait for a moon or two.”

“A fortnight,” Jon said, waiting for Theon to give a nod before continuing, “If you don’t hear from us by then, you should go. If we haven’t returned or given you a signal, we aren’t coming back.”

“I’ll have someone waiting for you on shore every day until dusk.”

That was met with a muted thank you and the rest of their meal was eaten in silence, the only sound being the crew and the tinkering of spoons scraping bowls. Jon finished quickly, excusing himself to his small cabin to pack his things, agreeing to meet with Theon in the morning. Theon didn’t say a word as he left.

The minute the door shut behind Jon, Asha pushed aside her stew and fixed Theon with a stare, waiting for her brother to speak. He continued to play with his stew, barely taking any bites that he brought to his mouth. Eventually, he gave up the farce of pretending to eat and set his spoon down.

“Just say what’s on your mind, Asha.”

His sister leaned forward, arms crossed on the table. “I’m coming with you two tomorrow.”

Theon snapped his gaze up to meet her eyes. “No, you aren’t.  Someone has the man the ship-”

“We got a whole damn crew to do that!”

“But they aren’t Greyjoys,” Theon snarled, anger rising into his voice. Asha sat back a bit. It had been the first emotion her brother had shown in the past year they had been on this crazy dead-man’s mission. “This ship is _ours._ No one else’s. One of us stays and I sure as hell am not. You are staying. You are continuing on without me. You are keeping our family name.”

“You care about your family’s name?” Asha barked out a laugh. “Are you fucking with me?”

“It’s the only thing we have left.” _Except each other_ , but Theon didn’t say that. Asha and his relationship had changed a lot in the past couple of years but there would never be a time they were that openly warm with each other. It just wasn’t their way. They loved viciously, cold and harsh, but it was a love they both recognized when cutting into them.

“You’re an idiot.” She shook her head, smiling humorlessly. It looked more painful than anything else. “You understand there is nothing at the end of this. We are at the end of the world, little brother. There is no life here, only death. I don’t know exactly what you think you are going to find here, but I can tell you now it doesn’t change the past. Dead is dead, little brother and he isn’t coming back.”

“I know.” Theon swallowed and leaned back into his chair, one hand curled into a fist and the other slipping into his pocket to feel a silver hunk of metal, smooth to the touch and attached to an old black tarnished chain. He closed his eyes for a moment, trying to imagine himself anywhere else before opening his eyes and saying again, “I know.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading! Let me know what you think :) Hopefully will have more of this in the future, kind of taking it wherever the heart is feeling but I do have the ending already planned out!
> 
> Feel free to come say hi [@youbuggingme on Tumblr](http://youbuggingme.tumblr.com/)

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading!! I found myself really enjoying this prompt and I hope you have as well. Please leave a comment with your thoughts and feel free to come chat with me on [@youbuggingme on Tumblr](http://youbuggingme.tumblr.com/). Hopefully see you around next chapter! :)


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